CHRISTMAS should be a time of celebration with family and friends. All too often, unfortunately, it becomes a time of drinkfuelled violence.

Two new schemes launched by the police and safety teams could help to make the festive period a little more peaceful in Worcester.

Taxi marshals will begin operating in the city centre tonight with the aim of ensuring the taxi rank at The Cross runs smoothly.

Taxi queues are often a flashpoint for fights as people, often extremely drunk, try to make their way home after a night out. The increased numbers enjoying Worcester’s nightlife over the next two weekends will add to the potential problems.

Information about the new marshals will be sent out to the mobile phones of shoppers and revellers in the city centre via a new police text messaging service along with tips for staying safe and warnings about violent behaviour.

While we welcome both initiatives, it is worrying that our society has reached the stage that such schemes are necessary. Do we really need to be told not to drink ourselves into a stupor or not to attack others?

As always, the vast majority of people who will head into Worcester to enjoy a night out in the run-up to Christmas do not need such advice.

There will, however, be a small proportion of idiots and undesirables who will attempt to ruin such night outs and to besmirch Worcester’s reputation.

If schemes like these keep the mayhem these lowlifes create to a minimum then we are all for them.